Mental Illness Poem

Poem Unmasking The Hidden Struggle Of Depression

No one can truly understand depression unless you either live with it or love someone who lives with it. This poem is dedicated to my beautiful daughter who has been suffering from depression for so long I don't remember when she wasn't depressed. All I can do is try and love her through her pain...

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I myself have a daughter that is now going to be 26 in a little over a month. She doesn't leave the house at all, she comes to my house and to her Dr's appointments but not by choice. They...

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The Ruse

Published by Family Friend Poems July 2008 with permission of the Author.

She's beauty, style, poise and grace,
At least she appears to be.
But no one knows the girl who hides
Behind the face they see.

Her self-esteem is all but gone,
Of her ego there's barely a trace.
There's so much pain behind the mask
She wears upon her face.

Depression has controlled her life
With far too many tears.
Her smile is fake; she's good at it;
She's been doing it for years.

The cover is what attracts us
To the story within the book.
And she's afraid that without the ruse,
No one would bother to look.

more by Annabel Sheila

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Has this poem touched you? Share your story!

by Amy Lamp
10 years ago

I myself have a daughter that is now going to be 26 in a little over a month. She doesn't leave the house at all, she comes to my house and to her Dr's appointments but not by choice. They talked her into getting on medication but it has made her quality of life even worse, so she ask to be weaned off these medications. She trusted her therapist at the time that this was what she needed but at the time 6 of us lived in a very small 2 bedroom house and a newborn was 1 of those 6 and she got very overwhelmed. 3 years ago her and her twin sister got their own place but it seems this particular medicine has fried the receptors to her brain. She also has polycystic ovarian disease and got picked on in high school. I feel that after she is off this medicine and gets the right treatment for her polycystic and just gets on her hormone therapy because she produces to much testosterone that her life can get back to normal. I ask all that read this to say a prayer for her. And this poem is beautiful, I plan on giving it to her

by Elsa Rosenfeld
11 years ago

Beautiful poem expressing the feelings of a mother. How hard it is to watch your daughter in depression. May the Lord give you strength and healing to your daughter.

by Gabz-Botswana
11 years ago

I hear the words of the poem
They are what is me
And for that, I believe your daughter will overcome this
It is very hard to describe it but you tried
The words are simply to understand but gives less/no meaning of the real feeling
Like I know/feel is happening to me now
Everything is disappearing and all I see is movement
Breathing in and out is senseless
This moment gives no life

by Jennifer Bolton
11 years ago

This is beautiful. A mother should always accept her child no matter what. When a daughter is suffering from a problem like this, a mother should help her get through it all. I wish I had a mother like you... I'm very jealous of your daughter. She has a wonderful mother, and I hope she realizes that... I wish you both the very happiest of lives, and I hope that your daughter can overcome the battle she's facing.

by Mel
11 years ago

Thank you for sharing both the love & sadness that you & your truly amazing daughter struggle with on a constant basis. I am a mother with hidden depression & am now confronted with my daughters depression, I applaud you with your open amazing nature. I've always been ashamed, I now feel I may have made it worse for my beautiful girl by my shame. May your days become joyful & may your little girl live with happiness thanks xo

by Jessica, Oxford
12 years ago

Thank you so very much for sharing. I feel your daughters pain. This has touched my heart in many ways. I feel as though you can see right through me and feel as this was written for me. Thank you very much!

by Tanya Magooshboy
15 years ago

I really can feel what she is going through, I am 34 yrs old and have been paralyzed for more than half. It's like you have a different face, personality when your among others, you tell them what they want and expect to hear. It's easy for you, you have been doing it for years. I have. I've been bottling up things for years and it's taking it's toll. It's funny how I can describe what I am feeling to strangers other than to my family and friends. Anyway it's a great poem.

by emily
15 years ago

I have a friend that's exactly like this..I don't know what to do cause she is so depressed and so scared to show her true self that she is bottled up so much that she is exploding on me because she cant take it anymore...really great poem

by Lara
16 years ago

wowwww.... That was amazing. I've been suffering from depression for many years and understand the exact feelings of your poem. very nice of you to support your daughter.
take care and hope that she will fight it and not live with it all her life.

by Mandy
16 years ago

I really like this poem. It touched me in the fact that this is the way I am and have been for three years. I want to thank you for writing a poem like this. I have no family all I have is my Boyfriend. So thank you for writing a great poem like this.

by donna
16 years ago

I live with depression and know how it is to feel no one understands, this touched me to feel you support your daughter. god bless